Ms. Hodaj focuses her practice on commercial real estate transactions, with particular emphasis on the drafting and negotiation of complex purchase and sale agreements and the handling of both construction and permanent loan financing. She guides transactions across a wide range of asset classes, managing all phases—from due diligence and strategic contract negotiation to closing—while ensuring compliance and minimizing risk.
Her work includes the detailed drafting, review, and negotiation of loan documents, title commitments, ALTA surveys, and related real estate documentation. Ms. Hodaj also has experience in commercial leasing, where she drafts and negotiates lease agreements that align with the firm’s clients’ business objectives.
While pursuing her J.D. at Rutgers Law School, Ms. Hodaj worked full-time as a commercial real estate paralegal, gaining practical insight into the complexities of real estate transactions. She holds a second J.D. and a Master’s degree, further enhancing her legal and analytical capabilities.
Ms. Hodaj also completed a one-year internship with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where she contributed to enforcement actions involving digital assets, initial coin offerings, cryptocurrency-related violations, and insider trading based on compromised non-public information.
She earned her first law degree in Civil Law from the University of Tirana (Albania) and is fluent in Albanian, English, and Italian.
Credentials
Education
Rutgers Law School (J.D.)
- Staff Editor, Rutgers Business Law Review
Montclair State University (B.A., magna cum laude)
Faculty of Law, University of Tirana (LL.M., Civil Law)
Faculty of Law, University of Tirana (J.D. equivalent, magna cum laude)
Professional Admissions
State of New Jersey
Professional Activities
Board of Trustees, Real Property Section (New Jersey State Bar Association)
Essex County Bar Association
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
Civic/Charitable Activities
Volunteer, Newark Housing Coalition, 2020 – 2021
Legal Employment
Intern, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, New York, NY, May 2021 – September 2022
Law Clerk, McCarter & English, LLP, Newark, NJ, October 2020 – September 2022
Commercial Real Estate Paralegal, Rubin & Dombeck, LLC, Teaneck, NJ, December 2017 – December 2020
Languages
Albanian
Italian
Spanish